Counting mechanism



Jul 10,1928.

1,676,939 E. G. BEVERIDGE I COUNTING MECHANISM Filed Sept. 23, 1925 2Sheets Sheet 1 "Patented July 1Q, 1928.

r E UNITE ATET QFFI'QE ERNEST e. BEVERIDGE, or BROOKLY NEW YORK,assIeNoR To R: non -& inc, or

NEW Yon- N. Y., A CORPORATION or NEW YORK. I

oOUNTING MEonANrsiiI I Application filed September 23, 1925. ,Serial Nb.57,999:

This invention relates to certain improvements in counting deliveriesfor counting printed products as they are delivered.

It is the especial object of the present inventionto produce a simplearrangement for continuously delivering products which are separatedinto bunches or bundles of a predetermined number, all the products ofeach bundle being separated from the products in a preceding orsucceeding bundle so that the bundles may be readily lifted off thedelivery by the operator.

It is a. further object of the invention to produce an improved countingmechanism in which few parts are-required and in which means areprovided for quickly and easily changing the count.

With these and other objects not specifically referred toin view, theinvention constats in certain novel parts, arrangements and combinationswhich will be described in connection with the accompanying drawings andthe novel features pointed out in the :cl'aims hereunto annexed. i

Referring now to these drawingsrf t Figure l'is an end elevation, partlybroken away and partly in section, of so much of an improved countingmechanism and delivery as is necessary for an unde-rstanding of theinvention; j v

a Figure 2 is, a view of certain of the mechanism shown in Fig- 1, theparts being shown in ajdif'ferent position;

Fig'ure3is aside view, partly in'section, of the; construction shown inFig. 1, the view being t-aken in the'direction of arrow 3 of thatfigure; v I

Figure 4 is a detail view of an operating cam for counting a. certainnumber of products; and I I I v l igure 5 is a similar view of anoperating cam for counting a different number of products. W V

Referring now to these drawings, the various parts of the mechanism aresupported in side frames 1, 2, ofany usual ory desired construction,these side frames rising from a-base 8. In-theparticular machine shown,.the products are forwarded from a press or other mechanism, not shown,by apair of forwarding rolls 1, 5, mounted on shafts 6, 7, suitablysupported in the side frames of the machine, before referred to. Fromthe for warding rolls the products drop into the blades8 of a fandelivery, these blades being supported on an operating shaft 9, and theproducts are delivered from the'fan on to a travelling carrier shown intheform of belts 10, on pulleys 11- on a shaft 12 extending acrossthemachine. If desired, a spacing roll 13 may beprovided at suitableintervals along the belts for holding ,t-he belts in position, H r a;

In accordance with the invention, means are provided for separating theproducts. into bunches, these bunches being so spaced from eachother asto permit tiem to be pickedup by the operator, the individual products.of each bunch being all separated fromthe products of preceding, orsucceeding bunches. fanned out, as, it 'were, so as to make it easy topick them ofi the delivery.

.While thespecific-.1neans fOr effecting. this i maybe somewhat, varied,the construction will also .be suchtha'tthe number of prod nets ofeaohbunch. may be readily and quickly, varied. Irrthe. particularconstruction illustrated,theproducts at the start ar e delivered againsta fixed stopor finger, 1 1 secured at one end, .as 15, to L neen'd ofna'bracket .16 suitablys'ecured to the side frames of themachine.CooperatingWith this fixed step are movable counting I fingers. Thesecounting fingers are arranged at the start of v the delivery of eachbunch to lie'behind the stop finger, shown in Figure 1. These movablestop fingers are indicated bythe numeral 17 and are pivoted at 18 to thefront .end of-the braoket, 16, before referred to.

n The b-unchesnare preferably To, effect the-counting function thesefingers are delivered,v against them bythe fan, the

are moved slowly forward as the products 4 forwardmovementof thesefingers moving of productsbeing collected in front of the fingers,thenumberof products collected 'de pending on the speed at which thefingers moveforward. This maybedete'rmined in var ous waysibutin thepreferred construction is ,eflfectedbya cam, this cam being so arrangedas to move the fingers forward a snlfici-ent. distance to.countthesdesired num 'ber of products after. which .the finger is movedbackto, its initial position with a While-the construction effectingthis may be somewhat varied, in the particular the products forward onthe tapes, a bunchffifi construction shown the shaft 11, by whichthe'belts are driven, has secured thereon a cam wheel 20 carrying a camsurface 21 having a high point 22. This cam is a'slow .moving cam andhas cooperating therewith a cam roll 23 carried on a hub 24 supported'on an arm 25 carried on a hub 26 mounted ona rock shaft 27 egctendingacross the machine and suitably journalled in the side frames 1, 2,before referred to. .The hub 26 is provided with a collar 27 betweenwhich and one of the sideframes of the machine is a torsion spring 28,this spring, surrounding the shaft. -The function of this spring is tohold. the cam roll in close engagement with the operating face of thecam. Also secured on a rock shaft 27 are a pair of arms .29, 30, to theouter end of which'are secured one end of links 3l the' other end of thelinks 31 being connected with the fingers 17.

Withthis construction it willbe seen that at the start of the operation,when the parts are in the position shown in Figure 1, the

cam roll has just run up the'abrupt face of full lines, and thismovement is a very quick one so that the fingers are moved back to theposition shown in Figure 1 in plenty of time to engage the first productof a succeeding bunch. The roll riding on the cam forces the fingers 17forward and effects a separation of the products, bunches'of the,products being fanned out as shown in Figurel, thus making it; a verysimple matter 'to'pick j up tapes.

a bunch of products from the In thebest constructions means are providedvwhereby the number of products counted may be variedto some extent andwhile this may be-donefin various ways, .inv

theparticular construction shown there is "provided a second cam 32 on.the shaft 1 2, this cam being formed with two high points 33, 34;,theleast number of products being counted with this cam. The cam roll 23 isslidableon the sleeve. 24 and when it'is desired to use the cam 32, the.roll'is simply slidalong the sleeve so as to come into engagement'withcam 32 and out of engagement with cam 21. The various parts of thene'rf In the particular construction shown there I is provided a drivinggear 35 on a. shaft 36 driven from any suitable part of the machine.Inside the gear 35 is 'a gear 37 which is in mesh with the gear 38on theflyshaft- 9 before referred to. This'fiyshaft 9, at'

its other end,-carries a worm gear 39 in mesh wlth a worm wheel 40 on ashort vertical shaft 41 suitably secured in a bracket 42 secured to theside frame 1, before referred to. This shaft 41, at its other end,carries a miter gear 43 in mesh with a miter gear 44 on the cam shaft12.- r

It will be seen that with this construction the belts and the cam aredriven at the same speed, and" a. very simple and at the same timeeilicient counting arrangement has VVhile the invention has beendescribed in SUI in its preferred form, it will be understood.that'various changes may be made ini the particular constructionwithout I departing from the inventionla's defined pended claims.

What I claim is: v h

i. Therombination with means for forwardiug products. 0 fa fiat deliveryto which the products are forwarded, a pusher against which the-productsare forwarded, means for in the apgivingthc pusher aforwarding movementwith the products, the extent of this forwarding moven'ient determiningthe number of products forwarded againstthe pusher,

means for effecting a. quick return movement of the pusher to separatethe products Inined continuous forward movement with the products and atthe speed of the products to form a product bunch, and for effecting .aquick return movement ofthe pusher to receivethefirst product of asucceeding bunch, the extent of the forwarding movement depending onwhich cam is operating. 7

loo

3. The combination-,withimeans for for warding products, of a travelingfiat delivery to which the products are forwardedfa v v V V }for varyingthe extent of movement of the' machine may be driven in any sultable manpusher, and means for effecting a' quick re- 4. The combination withmeans for forwarding products, of a traveling flat delivcry to which theproductsare'forwarded, a fixed stop against which certain oftheprodproducts end a plurality of cams with any nets ,are delivered, apusher engaging the" 'nected, each of said camshaving a surfaceoperating to give the pusher a predetermined continuous forward movementat the speed of the product-s and a surface for effecting a quick returnmovement of the pusher be yond the fixed stop, the extent of the forwarding movement depending on which cam is operating. y

5. The combination with means for forwarding products, of atrave-lingflat delivery to which the products are delivered, a

power shaft driving the deliver a pusher rality of cams on the shaft, acam roll ar ranged to be brought into engagement with any of the cams,and operating connections between the roll and the pusher.

7. The combination with means for forwarding products, of a travelingfiat delivcry to which the products are delivered, a pusher engaging theproducts for a. predetermined forward movement, a shaft, a plurality ofcams on the shaft, a cam roll mov- T able widthwise of the shaft toengage any of the cams, and operating connections between the roll andthe pusher.

8. The combination with means for forwardingiproduots, of a travelingfiat deliv-- ery to which the products are delivered, a pusher engagingthe products for a predetermined forward movement, a power shaft drivingthe delivery, a plurality of cams on the shaft, a cam roll movablewidthwise of the shaft to engage any of the cams and operatingconnections between'the roll and the pusher.

9. The combination with means for forwarding products, of a travelingfiat delivcry to which the products are delivered, a pivoted pusherengaging the products, a cam havlng a surface for glvlng the pusher arelatively slow continuous forwarding movement with the products until aproduct bunch has been formed and an abrupt surface for giving thepusher aquick return movement, connection between the cam and thepusher, and means for adjusting the forwarding movement of the pusher.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

ERNEST e. BEVERIDGE.

